Draft and buffing gear



June 19, 1934. H. .1. LOUNSBURY 1,963,205

DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR Filed March 18, 1933 Fiyl g 1/3 12 I nvenior Harvey JLounsbury Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR Harvey J. Lounsbury, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 18,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in draft and buffing gears for mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined draft and bufling gear especially I adapted for mine cars and designed to cooperate with a coupler of the automatic type.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a gear, of the character described in the preceding paragraph, including shock absorbing means adapted to be actuated in both draft and buff, wherein the bufling forces are transmitted to the shock absorbing means through bufiing heads and the draft forces are transmitted to at least part of said shock absorbing means by an automatic coupler member, which is yieldingly held in coupling position and centered by additional shock absorbing means, which is also utilized to absorb bufling shocks.

Other objects of the invention will more clear- 0 1y appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a part plan and part horizontal sectional View of one end of a mine car, broken away, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is an elevational View, partly broken away, of the structure illustrated in Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In said drawing, 10 indicates one end of a mine car, 11 the vertical end wall, 12 the floor, and 113 an angle bar member connecting the end wall 11 to the floor 12 and forming, in effect,

. the end sill memberof the car.

My improved combined draft and buffing gear comprises broadly a supporting casing A; a pair of buifing heads B-B; a draft beam C; a coupler D; combined draft and bufflng springs 0 E-E; buiflng springs FF; combined coupler centering and buffing springs G-G; and a connecting pin H.

The supporting casing A is secured to the end wall 11 of the car and comprises a platelike member 13 having spaced, outwardly projecting,

top and bottom flanges 14-14 and spaced, Vertical side flanges 15-15 connecting the top and bottom flanges. The top flange 14 is spaced from the upper edge of the plate 13 and both of the side flanges 15-15 are spaced laterally inwardly from the vertical end edges of said plate. At the forward ends, the vertical side flanges 15-15 are inturned, as indicated at 16-16 in Figure 1, thereby providing front stop shoulders for the 755 buffing heads 13-13. Additional stops for the 1933, Serial No. 661,794

bufiing heads 3-3 are provided by a pair of re taining members 17-1'7 disposed between the top and bottom flanges 14-14 of the casing A laterally inwardly of the buffing heads B-B. Each retaining member 1'7 comprises a vertical section 18 having outwardly projecting top and bottom flanges 19-19 by which the retaining member is secured to the top and bottom flanges 14-14 of the casing A. At the outer end, the' section 18 is offset so as to provide a stop shoulder 20, which is arranged in transverse alignment with the stop shoulder 16. Between the retaining members 17-17, the top and bottom flanges 14-14 of the casing A are recessed, as indicated at 21-21 in Figures 1 and 3.

The buffing heads B-B are arranged at 0p posite sides of the end of the car and are slidingly supported by the casing A. The two bufling heads B-B are of the same design, each being in the form of a cap open at the rear end and having a transverse front wall 22 closing, the front end. The front wall 22 is thickened, as clearly shown in Figure 1, and presents a transversely curved, outer buffing face 23, which cooperates with a similar bufling head B offthe adjacent car. At the inner end, each'buffing head B is provided with laterally outwardly projecting flanges 24-24 at opposite sides thereof, which engage in back of the stop shoulders 16 and 20 at the corresponding side of the casing A, thereby limiting outward movement of the bufling head B and holding the same assembled with the casing.

The draft beam C is in the form of a casting having top and bottom flanges 25-25 connected V by vertical webs 26-26 at opposite sides there.- of. An opening 27 is thus provided at the center of the draft beam for a purpose hereinafter described. The vertical webs 26-26 are of the horizontal section shown in Figure 1 and have 95 their outer end portions rearwardly offset, as shown, to provide spring seats 28-23 at opposite ends of the draft beam C. The top' and bottom flanges 25-25 are widened at the center of the beam C, as indicated at 29-29, to provide guide 19 members for the stem of the coupler D, as hereinafter pointed out. The lower enlargement 29 projects beyond the upper enlargement and has a downwardly oflset ledge section 30 at the ex tremity thereof, which engages beneath thehead of the coupler D so as to properly support the same in all positions of the coupler. V

The coupler D is of the automatic type and comprises a head member 31 having a reduced stem 32 rearwardly projecting therefrom.- The head member 31 presents rearwardly facing, transverse shoulders 33-33 at opposite sides of the stem 32, which shoulders form front abutments for the combined coupler centering and bufiing springs G-G. The coupler stem 32 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 34 adapted to accommodate the connecting pin H.

The connecting pin H is headed at the upper end, as most clearly shown in Figure 3, and extends through vertically aligned openings 35-35 in the top and bottom flanges 26-26 of the draft beam C and through the slot 34 of the coupler stem 32, thereby pivotally connecting the coupler D to the draft beam 0 and also permitting inward movement of the coupler to a limited extent with respect to said draft beam.

The combined draft and buffing springs E E are interposed between the outer end walls 2222 of the bufling heads B-B and the spring seats 28-28 at opposite ends of the draft beam C, the inner faces of the walls 22-22 of the buffing heads being provided with seats 135-135 for the outer ends of the springs E-E.

The buffing springs FF are disposed at oplp'os'ite sides of the jme'chan ism laterally outwardly of the springs 'EE and have their front and rear ends bearing respectively on the inner sides of "the walls 2222 of the bufling heads BB and on the front face of the plate 13.

The combined coupler centering and buffing springs 'GG are disposed at opposite sides of the stem 32 of the coupler D and have their front ends bearing on the shoulders 33- 33 of the head 31 of the coupler. The rear ends of these springs bear directly on the front face of the plate 13of'thecasing A. As will be'evident, the springs G-G 'hold the coupler D projected, as shown in Figure 1, and yieldingly retain the same in centered position.

In assembling. the mechanism, the draft beam C isfinserted through the front end of the casing A before the retaining members 17-17 are applied The different springs and the bufiing heads 'BB'are then placed in position and the coupler D attached to the draft beam C. 'With the parts thus assembled, the retaining members 171'7'are applied and riveted to the top and'bottom'flanges 1-i1'4 of'the casing A, thereby holding an of the parts assembled through engagement of the stop shoulders 2020 of said retaining members with the corresponding flanges 24-24 of the bufiing headsBB.

The operation of my improved draft and buffinggear is as'follows: Upon a draft force being applied to the coupler D, the draft beam 0 is pulled forwardly, therebycompressing the springs E-ElagaLinstthebufiing heads B'B, which are held stationary atthattime. As will be evident,

when a train of cars is rounding a curve, the couplers D D thereof will be permitted to swing laterally by means of the pivotal connection thereof with the corresponding draft beams. This swinging movement is yieldingly resisted by the combined centering and buffing springs GG, which serve to return the couplers to centered position.

the endof the car by the corresponding bufiing headsand coupler of the adjacent car. During this-action, all'of the springs -EE and F-F will be compressed against the end of thecar, the

springs'EEbeing compressed against the draft bea'mCpwhich abuts the plate 13 of the casing A, and "the springs F-F being compressed directly against this plate. The springs G-G, which cooperate with the coupler D during this action, are compressed directly against the plate 13, the necessary inward movement of the coupler D being permitted by the slot and pin connection between the coupler stem 32 and draft beam C.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft and bufiing gear for mine cars, the combination with a supporting member fixed to the end of the car; of a pair of buffing heads at opposite sides of the car slidingly supported on said member for movement inwardly toward the end of the car, said heads being engageable with similar heads on an adjacent car; a trans-- versely disposed draft beam inwardly of said bufiing heads, said beam normally bearing on the end of the car and being slidingly supported on said member for movement outwardly away from the car; means for limiting outward movement of said bufling heads; shock absorbing springs interposed between said buffing heads and draft beam; a coupler having a shank; a 10st motion connection between said shank and the 2:-

draft beam, permitting inward movement of the coupler to an extent at least as great as the inward movement of the bufing heads; and

too

springs opposing inward movement of the coupler,-said springs hearing at opposite ends-on said coupler and supporting member respectively.

2. In a draft and buffing gear for mine cars, the combination with a supporting casing fixed to the end of the car, said casing having a rear abutment wall and outer limiting stop shou1ders' 1i5 thereon; of a transverse draft beam slidingly supported in saidcasingf'or movement'away from the end of the car,'said beam'normally bearing on said abutment wall; a central coupler "having a head and a shank, said shank having a sliding swiveled connection with the beam, said sliding swiveled connection permitting movement of said 'head with respect to the beam in a direction inwardly toward-the car; a-pairof buffing caps .at opposite sides of said coupler slidingly supported 51 on said casing for inward movement "toward the end of the car to'an extentequal to the inward movement of the-coupler and limitedagainst outward movement by said shoulders-of thecasing;

springs hearing at the inner and outer ends re- 1: 1

spectively on'said draft beam :and buffing-caps, said springs opposing relativelmovement of the caps and beam; and additionalsprings at'opposite-sides of the coupler stem having their inner and outer'ends bearing respectively on saidabutment wall and the coupler head for holding said coupler head yieldingly centered and'projected for engagement with a similar coupler head of an adjacent car.

3. In a draft and buffing gear for mine cars,

the combination with a draft beam disposed transversely-of the end of'the car, movable outwardly away from the end of the car and ,nor-

mally held against 'movement'inwardly' of said car; of a coupler having ahead and a stem rearwardly projecting from the head, said headhaving rearwardlyfacingspring abutment shoulders at-opposite sides thereof, said stem being longitudinally slotted; a pivot pin connecting thecoupler stem to said beam, said-pin being fixedato the beam and having pivotal and sliding movement within the slot of the coupler stem; springs at opposite sides of the coupler stem, the rear ends of said springs having bearing engagement with a fixed support on said car and the front ends of said springs bearing on the abutment shoulders of the coupler head; inwardly movable bufling heads mounted on the car at opposite sides of the coupler head; and shock absorbing means yieldingly opposing inward movement of the buiiing heads and outward movement of said draft beam.

4. In a draft and bufiing gear for mine cars, the combination with a supporting casing fixed to the end of the car, said casing having a rear abutment wall and outer stop shoulders; of a pair of sliding bufling caps at opposite sides of said casing having their inner ends telescoped within the casing; a pair of springs interposed between the bufling caps and the abutment wall of the casing and having their front and rear ends bearing respectively on said caps and wall, said caps having their outward movement limited by stop shoulders on the casing; a transversely disposed draft beam inwardly of the bufiing caps, said beam having its opposite ends disposed in wardly of said springs, said beam normally bearing on the rear abutment wall of the casing and being supported for sliding movement outwardly away from the end of the car; a pair of springs at opposite ends of said beam, said springs having their outer ends bearing on the buifing caps and their inner ends bearing on said beam; a coupler midway between said bufiing caps, said coupler having a head and stem, said head having rear abutment shoulders at opposite sides;

a lost motion connection between said stem andv draft beam including a pin pivotally connecting the stem to the draft beam, said lost motion connection permitting limited outward movement of the coupler with respect to the draft beam; and springs at opposite sides of the coupler stem yieldingly opposing inward movement of the coupler with respect to said beam, said springs having their front ends bearing on the shoulders of the coupler head and their rear ends bearing on said abutment wall of the casing.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY. 

